Violin bow



Aug. 30, Q B: GRAY 1,874,037

VIOLIN BOW Original Filed June 20, 1929 4 I. 44 a man 0M1." F QaaksaxmINVENTOR MYRW ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE VIOLIN BOW Application filed June 20, 1929, Serial No. 372,514.Renewed January 7, 1932.

1 5? 1928, I disclose and claim twistable connecting means between thehair band and the nut and frog, respectively, such connecting meansbeing twistable so that the band of hair may contact strings flatwiseeven though the bow may be tilted sligl tly with respect to the violinstrings. Some effort is required to get this accommodation, as it isdesirable at times that an edge of the hair band shall bear against astring or strings. Playing of a voilin so as to obtain full tonal valuesrequires considerable muscular agility particuluarly in the wrist, andit is one of the principal objects of the invention of the patent toprovide the bow with powers 20 of accommodation to relieve thecomplexity of muscular movement. It is an object of my present inventionto improve the twistable or torisonal connection between the hair bandand the frog from the points of view of (a) greater strength (7))increased durability (c) the mode of resisting turning of the band (cl)manufacture and assembly, and (e) avoiding catching of strings by thetorsional or twi ting connection particularly on back-strokes. Thesefeatures of advantage inhere in my improved connection which consistsessentially of a tongue connected to the hair band and to the frogtogether with means for yieldingly resisting turning movement of-thetongue. The parts of the connection may be made of suitable metal inorder that sufficient strength and durability maybe had. As the tongueis no elongated in cross section, turning thereof is readily resisted bya spring. The outer end. of the tongue is widened to provide a cross barfor the hair band, a suitable clip being provided to clamp the hair bandto the cross bar. To prevent catching of string on backstrokes, theconnecting device has such surfaces as might otherwise catch inclined. Afurther object of my invention is to provide a connection having these100 features of advantage.

My improved connection may be embodied in a frog construction which maybe substituted for existing bow frogs; and, to facilitate theapplication of my improved frog to existing bows, I prefer to make thefrog body portion of material, such as rubher, which. may be readilyrendered partially plastic at the bow stick engaging portion in orderthat a good fit may be effected. A further object of my invention is toprovide for this feature of adaptability.

These and other objects are effected by my invention, as will beapparent from the following description and claims taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bow having my improvement appliedthereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view from the hair band side;

Fig. 3 is an elevation at the frog end;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of my improved frog;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fi 4 looking up and withthe tongue clip removed;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the hair band connectionassembly;

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of the channel member;

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the tongue member;

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are detail views of the hair band ferrule; and,

Figs. 14 and 15 are detail views of the spring.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, I show a bow stick 10 and ahair band 11 connected to the nut end 12 and to the frog 13 adjustablein the usual way relatively to the stick.

The frog 13 includes a body portion 14., preferably made of plasticmaterial, having a longitudinal concavity 15 for the stick, thisconcavity 15 having a metallic liner 16. The body portion is recessed orcored out to receive the hair band connector assembly, at 17, and thetension nut member 18 which cooperates with the bow adjusting screw 19.

The connector assembly 17 consists of a channel member 20 having achannel 21 for the shank or tongue portion 22 of the tongue member 23having a widened portion pro vided with a cross member 24. A lug 25'isprovided at the upper side of the tongue member, the lug being engagedover by the The hair band 11 has one end preferably passed under andover the cross portion 24 of the tongue member and a suitable ferrule30' is pressed or forced thereover to clamp the hair band. In order thatthe botoln surface 31 may be flush with the bottom surface 32 of thechannel member (Figs. 2 and l) the tongue member is bent slightly at 38to the extent. of approximately the thickness of the hair band. I

The channel member 20 and the spring 2'2 are connected together in anysuitable manner. For example, I show a block or clamp part 35 6')connected or. brazed to the channel member 20 and provided with a screw36 extending through the upper clamp part 37 and having a nut.38-bearing against the part-37. As shown, the spring 27 is of hair pinform with the prongs thereablemanner. For eXample,/I show the chan- 7the bow, whereby catching of strings on short nel portion 20 providedwith a ferr.ule1portion. 42 engagingover the projection 43'and providedwith a threaded lug 4d engaging the screw. 45 carried by the bodyportion. Preferably the lug and the body portion have contactinginclined surfaces 46 and 47, respectively, tending to move the channelmember 20 re-arwardlywhen the screw 45 is tightened, whereby closecontactfis made between the rear end of the channel member and theadjacent end of the strip 48.

The ferrule 42 of the channel member has bottom portions 50'branchingfrom the main body of the Qhannelmember'QO and having has a. rearwardprojection 53 having edges 54* arrangedadjacent to the edges'5l. Theinclination of the edges-is toward the nut'end of down strokesminimized- V As already pointed out, the body. portion 14 is preferablymade of plastic material such asrubber in order that a frog may bereadily shaped to fit a stick. This avoids the necessity of carrying astock of frogs having varying sized and shaped stick-fittingconcavities, as a frog may have its concavity readily reshaped to fit astick, it being merely necessary toapply heat locally to the concaveportion to render it somewhat plastic whereupon it may be readilyreshaped to fit the sti'cln FurtI1ermore,-the body portion may bereadily molded with the recesses therein andmetallic parts may bereadily connected thereto during molding. p

From the foregoing, will be apparent that the tongue member may turn inthe channel against the resistance of the spring 27 andthat the latterreturns the tongue member to normal position. This makes possible thebearing of one edge of the hair'band on strings on light strokes andtilting thereof to-bea-r evenly upon the application of greaterpressure. g V i p 7 Vlhile I- have shown my invention in but one form,it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not solimited, but-is susceptibleof va-riouschanges and modifications,

without departing from the spirit thereof,

and. l desire,.therefore,- that only such limitations shall be placedthereupon as are im: posed by theprior art or as are specificallysetforth in the appended claims.

. What I claim is V 1-.- The' combination with a bow having a hair bandand a frog, of means connecting the hairband to the frog including amember connected to the hair band, andspring means resisting turning ofthemember.

I 2; The combination. with a bow having a hair band anda frogg o-f meansconnecting the hair bandto the frog including a member connected tothehair band,finea ns for conneeting the'member to the frog and' providingfor'relative turning movements thereof,and-

means for resisting such relative turning movements and efiective toreturn the member and frog to normal'relative positions.

3. The combination with a bow having a hair band and a frog, of means.connecting the hair band to the frog including a member connected to thehair band and being elongated in cross section and spring means bear-Les ing on said member to resist turning. move-.

ments thereof.

' 4E. The combination with a'bow having a hairband and a frog, of meansconnecting the hair band to the frog includinga member connected to thehair band and means for connecting the member to the frog and includingresilient meansresisting relative turning movementsfof the member andfrog and-effec tive to return the latter to normal relative positionsthereof. I i

5. The combination with a bow having a hair band and a frog, of. meansconnecting an i the hair band to the frog including a member connectedto the frog and provided with a channel, an elongated flat tongueconnected to the hair band and arranged flatwise in the channel, meansfor connecting the tongue to the frog, and means for yieldably resistingturning of the tongue in the channel.

6. The combination with a bow having a. hair band and a frog, of meansconnecting the hair band to the frog including a channel memberconnected to the frog; a tongue connected to the hair band and arrangedin the channel; a lug on the tongue; and a spring connected to the frog,engaging over the lug to connect the tongue to the frog, and bearingagainst the tongue to yieldably resist turning thereof in the channel.

7. The combination with a bow having a hair band and a frog, of meansfor connecting the hair band to the frog includ ng a tongue havingportions off-set approximately the thickness of the hair band, means forconnecting the hair band to one of said portions, means for connectingthe other portion to the frog, and means providing for yieldablyresisted turning movement of the tongue.

8. The combination with a bow having a hair band and a frog, of meansfor connecting the hair band to the frog including a member having across bar and a tongue portion connected to the cross bar, a ferrule forgripping the hair band with respect to the cross bar, means including alug on the tongue portion for connecting said member to the frog, andspring means cooperating with the tongue portion to resist turningmovement of said member.

9. The combination with a bow having a hair band and a frog, of meansfor connecting the hair band to the frog including a member, a ferruleengaging a portion of the frog and having bottom portions which areintegral with the member, said bottom portions having side edgesinclined toward the hair band, a tongue, means for connecting the hairband to the tongue including a ferrule having bottom edges adjacent tothe first ferrule inclined toward the hair band, and means forconnecting the tongue to the frog and providing for relative turningthereof.

10. A device for connecting a bow hair band to a frog including a bodymember, a hair band tongue connected to the body member so as to becapable of tilting movement about a longitudinal axis, and resilientmeans for resisting such tilting movement and effective to return thehair band to normal position relative to the body member.

11. A device for connecting a bow hair band to a frog including a bodymember, a hair band tongue, and a detachable connection between the bodymember and the tongue and including spring means for yieldably resistingrelative turning of the tongue and member.

12. A device for connecting a bow hair band to a frog including a bodymember having a channel, a hair band tongue fitting the channel, a lugon the tongue, and a spring connected to the body member, engaging overthe lug and bearing against the tongue.

13. A frog for a violin bow comprising a body member having a concavegroove adapted to fit a bow stick, at least that portion of said memberprovided with the groove being deformable by being rendered plastic bythe application of heat in order to fit a stick, a member adapted forconnection to a hair band, and means for connecting the frog to thelast-named member so that the latter may move angularly.

14. A frog for a violin bow comprising a body member having a concavegroove adapted to fit a bow stick, at least that portion of said memberprovided with the groove being made of material deformable by beingrendered plastic by the application of heat to fit a stick, a memberconnected to the body member and providing a channel internally thereof,a tongue adapted to be connected to the hair band and fitting saidchannel, means for connecting the tongue to the body member, and springmeans for resisting turning of the tongue in the channel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th dayof June,

CHARLES B. GRAY.

